(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) UNNAMED MOURNER, SAYING: "We condemn the American aggression against our security forces and we would like to tell the Americans to leave our country, those are our dear sons.

You are occupiers and you kill our sons.

This act is rejected and unacceptable." Washington launched the strikes in retaliation for a rocket attack on Wednesday (March 11) on a base north of Baghdad that killed two U.S. troops and a British soldier.

The United States defended the air strikes, saying all five targets were legitimate and stored Iranian-supplied weapons used by the militia to attack U.S. troops.

The long-standing feud between the United States and Iran have mostly played out on Iraqi soil in recent months, Deepening deep-seated tensions between elements of Iraqi society who oppose and support the U.S. military presence.